Athletics News

Johns Hopkins to Add Four to Athletic Hall of Fame

Sept. 18, 2003

BALTMORE, Md. -- Johns Hopkins University will induct four new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2003. The class includes John DeTommaso (Lacrosse / Class of 1986), Tom Finegan (Baseball, Football / Class of 1988), Jay Gangemi (Basketball / Class of 1992) and Sylke Knuppel (Basketball, Track, Soccer / Class of 1993). The four-member class is the 10th to be inducted since the Johns Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame was formed in 1994 and raises the total number of members in the Hall of Fame to 77. The group will be honored at the Johns Hopkins-Franklin & Marshall football game on October 11 with the actual induction ceremony to take place at the Hunt Valley Marriott later that evening.

Below is a short profile of each of the four inductees.

John DeTommaso

Farmingdale, NY / Farmingdale

Class of 1986 * Lacrosse

John DeTommaso ranks as one of the most decorated men's lacrosse players in school history. He guided the Blue Jays to four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, two NCAA Championships and one national runner-up finish. The Blue Jays posted a four-year record of 49-5 during his career and were a combined 27-1 during the 1984 and 1985 seasons.

DeTommaso garnered All-America honors in each of his four seasons at Hopkins, including First Team status as a sophomore, junior and senior. He is one of just five defensmen in school history who have earned First Team All-America honors three times and he is one of just 19 players in school history who has earned All-America honors four times.

DeTommaso also earned the William C. Schmeisser Award as the top defenseman in the nation as a junior and was named to the All-Time Johns Hopkins team at the end of his career. He was one of 10 Johns Hopkins players named to the NCAA Silver Anniversary Team in 1995 and he was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001.

DeTommaso has continued his involvement with the sport of lacrosse since his graduation from Johns Hopkins. He won four gold medals as a member of the United States National Team (1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998) and has been the head coach of the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse since the league was formed in 2001. He has guided the Lizards to a pair of MLL Championships (2001 & 2003).

Tom Finegan

Garden City, NY / Garden City

Class of 1988 * Football/Baseball

One of the top two-sport athletes in school history, Tom Finegan is worthy of Hall of Fame status as both a football and baseball player. He started in both sports in each of his last three seasons after seeing extensive playing time in both as a freshman,

On the football field, Finegan ranks as one of the top wide receivers in school history. He finished his career ranked second in Hopkins history in career receptions (130), receiving yards (2,147) and touchdown receptions (19). He still ranks third in receiving yards, tied for third in touchdown receptions and fourth in receptions. He garnered First Team All-Centennial honors as a sophomore, when he had a career-high 55 receptions for 856 yards and seven touchdowns. His career-best 196 receiving yards against Franklin & Marshall that year still ranks as the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.

In baseball, Finegan led the Blue Jays to a four-year record of 111-41 (.730), three MAC Southeast titles and one MAC Championship. Hopkins also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1986. He finished his career with a .346 batting average, 151 hits, 159 runs scored, 19 doubles, 13 triples, four home runs, 66 RBIs, 75 walks and was 95-of-105 on stolen bases. At the end of his career he ranked first in career runs scored, triples and stolen bases and second in career hits. He still ranks first in triples, second in stolen bases, third in runs scored and 11th in hits. He garnered First Team All-MAC South in 1986, when he was also named to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team.

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Jay Gangemi

Rochester, NY / McQuaid Jesuit

Class of 1992 * Basketball

A key member of the men's basketball team during the resurgence of the program in the late 1980s/early 1990s, Jay Gangemi distinguished himself as a standout on the court and in the classroom during his time at Johns Hopkins. He helped lead Johns Hopkins to a four-year record of 76-36 (.679), at the time; this was the winningest four-year period in school history. Gangemi led Johns Hopkins to the NCAA Tournament three times during his career and the Blue Jays advanced to the Sweet 16 when he was a sophomore and the Second Round of the NCAAs when he was a junior.

One of the most versatile all-around players in school history, Gangemi finished his career with 1,362 points and 526 rebounds. He was the first player in school history to score over 1,250 points and grab 500 rebounds. He remains one of just three players in school history to accomplish this feat.

Despite severing the tip of the index finger on his shooting hand between his sophomore and junior seasons, he ended his career as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in school history. He ranks third all-time at JHU in career three-pointers made (172) and attempted (416) and also ranks third in career three-point field goal percentage (.413). In addition, he holds the school record for most games played (112) as he appeared in every game during his four years.

As successful as he was on the court (A First Team All-MAC selection as a senior), Gangemi was equally successful in the classroom. He earned GTE District II Academic All-America honors as a senior and earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship as well. He went on to graduate from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and recently completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Virginia. He is currently in his first year of a Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship at the Virginia.

Sylke Knuppel

Woodbine, MD / Glenelg

Class of 1993 * Basketball, Track, Soccer

One of the dominant female athletes in Johns Hopkins history, Sylke Knuppel was a four-year member of the women's basketball and track teams and played one year of soccer after the club team was elevated to varsity status during her final year at Homewood.

Knuppel made a name for herself on the national level in track as she was the NCAA Division III National Champion in the javelin as a junior and senior. Her winning throw as a junior was the second-longest throw in NCAA Division III history at the time and it remains the third-longest throw in Division III history. She placed seventh at the NCAA Championships in the javelin as a sophomore and was a three-time Middle Atlantic Conference Champion in the javelin as well.

On the basketball court, Knuppel helped lead the Blue Jays to a four-year record of 61-34 (.642) and three appearances in the MAC Playoffs. She helped transform the program into a post-season contender that has since made a mark at the national level. Knuppel finished her career as Hopkins' all-time leading scorer with 1,305 points and still ranks fifth on the all-time scoring list at JHU. She remains among Hopkins' all-time leaders in minutes played (2,304), rebounds (572) steals (115) and free throw percentage (.764). In leading the Blue Jays in scoring and rebounding as a junior and senior she became just the second player in school history to amass over 1,250 points and 500 rebounds. She was twice an all-conference selection in basketball.

Knuppel lettered in three sports as a senior as she was the starting goalie on the 1992 Johns Hopkins women's soccer team. This was the first season of varsity competition for women's soccer at Hopkins.